• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.207-216
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• 2019

In this paper we introduce a software package, the Very long baseline interferometry Network SIMulator (VNSIM), which provides an integrated platform assisting radio astronomers to design Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) experiments and evaluate the network performance, with a user-friendly interface. Though VNSIM is primarily motivated by the East Asia VLBI Network, it can also be used for other VLBI networks and generic interferometers. The software package not only integrates the functionality of plotting (u, v) coverage, scheduling the observation, and displaying the dirty and CLEAN images, but also adds new features including sensitivity calculations for a given VLBI network. VNSIM provides flexible interactions on both command line and graphical user interface and offers friendly support for log reports and database management. Multi-processing acceleration is also supported, enabling users to handle large survey data. To facilitate future developments and updates, all simulation functions are encapsulated in separate Python modules, allowing independent invoking and testing. In order to verify the performance of VNSIM, we performed simulations and compared the results with other simulation tools, showing good agreement.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.39-39
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• 2014

Studies of compact radio sources since the discovery of quasars have revealed a variety of physical properties: both in morphology and kinematics from sub-parsec to Mega-parsec scales, radiation mechanisms at frequencies from the radio to ${\gamma}$-rays, theoretical models for relativistic jets, etc. The frontier discovery of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations for the compact extragalactic radio sources have triggered the extensive studies to investigate the underlying physics of the relativistic jets. In this context, the highest resolution VLBI surveys of ultra-compact radio sources provide the potentially important statistical basis for future study. As a tool of this study, a new millimeter VLBI network in Korea, the Korean VLBI Network (KVN) will paly an important role. We present results from large VLBI surveys of compact radio sources at millimeter wavelengths and discuss the prospects with the KVN on this study.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.59.3-59.3
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• 2019

Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) is a special technique which can provide high angular resolutions of milliarcsecond and sub-milliarcsecond sales in radio astronomical observations. Recently, the mm/sub-mm VLBI observations becomes more widely available and related activities are increasing accordingly. In this talk, I'll introduce ongoing global mm-VLBI activities and EHT collaboration and our (Korean) contributions to them.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.139-146
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• 2017

A ground moving target's velocity estimation algorithm applicable for a SAR-GMTI system using 2 channel displaced phase center antenna(DPCA) is proposed. In this algorithm, we assume target's across-track velocity can be estimated by along-track interferometry (ATI) and present a method to estimate target's along-track velocity. To accomplish this method, we first transform a radar-target geometry in which a moving target has zero velocity via altering a radar velocity such that target's velocity is reflected into it and next manipulate the spectral centers of the subapertures within the synthetic aperture. The validity of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated through simulation results showing the performance of the target's velocity estimation and the enhancement of reconstructed target image quality in terms of resolution and SINR.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.37.1-37.1
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• 2016

Jets of compact radio sources are highly relativistic and Doppler boosted, making studies of their intrinsic properties difficult. Observed brightness temperatures can be used to study the intrinsic physical properties of the relativistic jets. The intrinsic properties of relativistic jets depend on inner jet models. We aimed to observationally test the inner jet models. The very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) cores of compact radio sources are optically thick at a given frequency. The distance of the core from the central engine is inversely proportional to the frequency. Under the equipartition condition between the magnetic field energy and particle energy densities, the absolute distance of the VLBI core can be predicted. We compiled the brightness temperatures of VLBI cores at various radio frequencies of 2, 8, 15, and 86~GHz. The brightness temperatures in the rest frame were investigated in the sub-parsec regions of the compact radio sources. From the vicinity of the central engine, the brightness temperatures increased slowly and then rose with steeper slope, indicating that the Lorentz factor increases along the jet. This implies that the jets are accelerated in the (sub-)parsec regions from the central engine.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.125-132
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• 2018

KVN(Korean VLBI Network) introduced the Mark6 system of the MIT haystack observatory as a recorder for data recording up to 32 Gbps for VLBI(Very Long Baseline Interferometry) observation. The Mark6 recorder can record data at up to 32Gbps when two systems and 64 HDDs are installed. However, because of the unique recording method that is characteristic of Mark6, we are introducing a large amount of data into a virtual file system, or using a general RAID method, which causes data loss when reading and transferring files at the highest recording speed or file system have. The Flexbuff system, a software recorder developed by JIVE(Joint Institute for VLBI ERIC), can be configured to operate as a data recorder through RAID configuration and network upgrades. In particular, when installed in the Mark6 system, it can record VLBI data at a maximum speed of 32 Gbps with less loss of data compared to the existing Mark6 by utilizing Mark6 resources well. In this paper, we propose that the existing Mark6 system can be operated as Mark6-Flexbuff by installing jive5ab software, and it is verified through experiment that it can be effectively used for VLBI observation operation through data recording test.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.111-111
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• 2014

Intensity interferometry, based on the Hanbury Brown--Twiss effect, is a simple and inexpensive method for optical interferometry at microarcsecond angular resolutions. Motivated by recent technical developments, we argue that the sensitivity of large modern intensity interferometers can be improved by factors up to approximately 25,000, corresponding to 11 photometric magnitudes, compared to the pioneering Narrabri Stellar Interferometer of the 1970s when resolving. Our approach, based on spectrally resolved light, permits the construction of large optical interferometers at the cost of (very) long-baseline radio interferometers. Realistic intensity interferometers are able to spatially resolve main-sequence O-type stars in the Magellanic Clouds. Multi-channel intensity interferometers can address a wide variety of science cases: (i) linear radii, effective temperatures, and luminosities of stars; (ii) mass-radius relationships of compact stellar remnants; (iii) stellar rotation; (iv) stellar convection and the interaction of stellar photospheres and magnetic fields; (v) the structure and evolution of multiple stars; (vi) direct measurements of interstellar distances; (vii) the physics of gas accretion onto supermassive black holes; and (viii) calibration of amplitude interferometers by providing a sample of calibrator stars.

• The Bulletin of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.54.2-54.2
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• 2015

Phase referencing is an important tool to study weak radio sources, especially in mm-VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) which are usually too faint to be observed using conventional VLBI. VLBI astrometry is a unique method to measure the position and to identify radio emitting regions of a radio source with unprecedented angular resolution. In order to evaluate the phase referencing and astrometric capabilities of KVN and KaVA, several observations have been conducted and analyzed. I will present the observational results and discuss constraints and requirements for high precision VLBI astrometry.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.195-199
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• 2014

We present a GUI-based interactive Python program, VIMAP, which generates radio spectral index maps of active galactic nuclei (AGN) from Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) maps obtained at different frequencies. VIMAP is a handy tool for the spectral analysis of synchrotron emission from AGN jets, specifically of spectral index distributions, turn-over frequencies, and core-shifts. In general, the required accurate image alignment is difficult to achieve because of a loss of absolute spatial coordinate information during VLBI data reduction (self-calibration) and/or intrinsic variations of source structure as function of frequency. These issues are overcome by VIMAP which in turn is based on the two-dimensional cross-correlation algorithm of Croke & Gabuzda (2008). In this paper, we briefly review the problem of aligning VLBI AGN maps, describe the workflow of VIMAP, and present an analysis of archival VLBI maps of the active nucleus 3C 120.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.85-91
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• 2012

Optical interferometry and polarimetry have separately provided new insights into stellar astronomy, especially in the fields of fundamental parameters and atmospheric models. We present: scientific justifications for "full-Stokes" optical interferometric polarimetry (OIP); updated instrument requirements; preliminary beam combiner designs; polarimeter design; end-to-end OIP data reduction; and realistic reimaged full-Stokes models of Be stars with a suitable number of telescopes plus noise sources. All of this work represents preliminary research to construct an OIP beam combiner.